Stories for November 28th 2012

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) certified that the ARA Libertad frigate is a military vessel, therefore, it can not be impounded, Argentina's ambassador to the UK, Alicia Castro, reported.

Colombia has withdrawn from a treaty that binds it to the UN International Court of Justice in anger at a ruling that shifts some of its resource-rich waters to Nicaragua, President Juan Manuel Santos announced on Wednesday.

Chile and Mexico will manage to a great extent to avoid the negative prospects from OECD members in the next two years. The half year report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development anticipates a serious weakening of activity in the Euro zone, the US and Japan, but the two OECD Latinamerican members as well as emerging power Brazil will have a contrasting performance.

Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff has cancelled her attendance to the Union of South American Nations, Unasur summit in Peru on Friday because of “agenda problems” and previous “domestic engagements”, according to the Planalto press secretary office. Vice-president Michel Temer will be attending in her name.

Argentina faces 42 claims at the World Bank’s ICSID in which the plaintiffs are demanding compensations for almost 65 billion dollars, revealed Eduardo Barcesat legal advisor to the Argentine Treasury and one of several lawyers who has defended the country in those litigations.

British Petroleum has been temporarily suspended from new contracts with the US government, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said. While it is unclear how long the ban will last, it follows BP's record fine earlier this month over the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The European Commission gave on Wednesday the go ahead for Spain to overhaul its stricken nationalized banks and opened the door for nearly 40 billion Euros in Euro zone aid to be disbursed, offering hope for an end to Spain's banking crisis.

The head of Brazil’s Justice and Human Rights Movement, Jair Krischke stated before the Truth Committee that it was the Brazilian dictatorship which master minded the notorious Plan Condor, the South American military dictatorships undercover trans-border organization of the sixties and seventies.

Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell has written to the London representatives of British Overseas Territories to alert them to what he sees as a shortfall in a new report on the future of the Commonwealth.